Peach crostata, or crostata di pesche, is a rustic Italian fruit tart made with buttery pasta frolla and juicy summer peaches. An easy, free-form dessert ready in about an hour, from a family recipe with Southern Italian roots.
Peach crostata has been on my summer table every summer for as long as I can remember, always made with peaches from my dad’s beloved backyard tree.
A buttery, free-form Italian pastry crust folds around a simple, fresh peach filling; this rustic tart requires no special equipment, no tart pan, and no pastry expertise.
The slightly uneven, golden edges that fold up around the jammy fruit are not imperfections. They are exactly what a crostata is supposed to look like, and they are part of what makes it so endlessly charming.
As a retired dietitian, what I love most about this recipe is how honest it is. Fresh summer peaches, a touch of sugar, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a hint of cinnamon, that is genuinely all the filling needs.
The peaches do all the work. When they are perfectly ripe and in season, no amount of added flavoring can improve on what nature already provides.
This is the recipe that proves the simplest things are almost always the best things.
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Quick Overview
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Special Touch: Letting the sliced peaches rest with the sugar and spices for at least 10 minutes draws out their natural juices, concentrating the flavor before baking.
- Dietary Note: Vegetarian. Contains egg, dairy, and gluten. Can be made nut-free by omitting the optional almond flour.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve warm or at room temperature, topped with sweet ricotta or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What You’ll Need
For the Peach Filling:
- Fresh ripe peaches. Choose fragrant, deeply coloured peaches that are slightly soft to the touch. Peak-season fruit needs almost nothing added to it.
- Granulated sugar. Adjust based on how sweet your peaches are; a perfectly ripe August peach may need even less than the recipe calls for.
- All-purpose flour. Whisked into the sugar mixture to absorb the peach juices and prevent a soggy crust.
- Cinnamon. Just enough for warmth without masking the delicate peach flavor.
- Nutmeg. A pinch alongside the cinnamon for subtle depth.
- Salt. Balances and enhances all the other flavors.
Pastry Dough:
- All-purpose flour. Always weigh your flour for the most consistent results - never scoop directly from the bag, which packs it and toughens the crust.
- Granulated sugar. Just enough to add the faintest sweetness to the pastry.
- Lemon zest. Adds a delicate citrus fragrance that pairs beautifully with the peach filling. Use an organic lemon since you are zesting the peel.
- Salt. Balances the pastry and enhances the buttery flavor.
- Frozen butter. Grated directly over the dry ingredients - frozen butter is the secret to a flaky, tender crust. Work quickly so it stays cold.
- Ice cold water. Added one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together.
- Egg yolk. Whisked with the ice cold water before adding to the dry ingredients for richness and binding.
For the Egg Wash and Finishing:
- Egg. Beaten with water and brushed over the pastry edges for a deep golden colour.
- Turbinado or coarse sugar. Sprinkled over the egg-washed edges for a glistening, slightly crunchy finish.
How to Prepare Your Ingredients
Before assembling this fruit crostata, we must prepare the filling and the pasta frolla dough.
Peach Filling
In a large bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour, â…› teaspoon of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
Rinse 3 medium-sized ripe peaches. Cut in half. Cut again in half and slice each quarter as thinly as possible. Optional: Remove the skin.
Toss gently with the dry ingredients and set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes to release the stone fruit’s natural sugars.
Pasta Frolla Dough
The pastry dough for this crostata is the same buttery, flaky dough I use in my berry crostata. It comes together quickly and is the perfect base for the peaches. The full recipe and step-by-step directions are in the recipe card below.
If you prefer, I do have a no-butter option found in my Italian Crostata recipe, which works beautifully here too.
And if neither homemade option suits you right now, a good-quality store-bought pastry dough works just fine.
How to Make a Peach Crostata
Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C); position the rack to the bottom third.
Roll out the dough into a 12-13-inch circle on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.
Place the peaches, without the extra liquid, in the center of this simple homemade crust any way you like, leaving a 1½-2 inch border around the edges.
Gently fold the edges of the pastry towards the center and create pleats at 2-inch intervals, exposing the crostata’s center.
As an option, scatter a handful of fresh berries over the peaches.
At this time, drizzle the extra peach liquid over the top of the peaches and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of almond flour.
Working quickly, brush the egg wash over the exposed dough, followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar (1 tablespoon).
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Place a sheet of foil over the peach filling and bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool down slightly for the fruit to set.
Tips for the Best Results
- Allow the peaches to marinate with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes to release the natural sugars.
- Adjust the amount of sugar used based on the sweetness and ripeness of the peaches.
- To ensure the perfect flaky crust, do not overwork the dough.
- If you are having difficulty rolling out the dough, place it between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
- Rolling out the dough on lightly floured parchment paper provides an easy transfer to the baking sheet.
- Arrange the sliced peaches any way you like on the dough.
- To prevent the peaches from drying out, drizzle the top with the leftover juices from the filling and cover the fruit with aluminum foil halfway through the baking process.Â
FAQ
Either yellow or white peaches work beautifully here. Choose ones that are ripe but still slightly firm, since very soft peaches can make the filling too watery
No, peeling is entirely optional. The skin softens as it bakes and many readers prefer to leave it on for texture and color. If you’d like a smoother filling, peel them before slicing.
Fresh is best for texture, but frozen peaches can work in a pinch. Thaw and drain them very well first, since frozen fruit releases significantly more liquid and can make the crust soggy.
This usually comes down to butter temperature or flour measurement. Make sure your butter is frozen when grated in, and if the dough feels sticky, chill it briefly before rolling. Weighing your flour rather than scooping it also helps consistency.
Yes. The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and kept wrapped in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to a month. Let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes before rolling if it’s been chilled.
Absolutely. A handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries scattered over the peaches is a lovely addition, as noted in the recipe. Nectarines or plums also work well in place of or alongside the peaches
It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. For the best texture, enjoy it within the first day, since the crust softens over time.
Yes. Warm individual slices in a 300°F oven for about 10 minutes to re-crisp the crust, rather than using the microwave, which will soften the pastry. Let it cool slightly before serving.
More Crostata Recipes
If this peach version won a place at your table, here are a couple more crostata ideas worth trying.
Recipe Inspiration
Growing up Italian meant having the most wonderful urban garden. We had a very large backyard, allowing my dad to plant a variety of vegetables and fruit trees.
Throughout his lifetime, he successfully planted several varieties of apples, pear, Italian plum, fig, cherry, and peach trees. To this day, those were some of the juiciest peaches I have ever tasted.
The kitchen was my mom’s territory, and, like most Italian nonnas, she made the most amazing desserts and preserves from all this fresh fruit.
Easy Italian desserts like this apple cake and fruit-filled crostatas are nothing fancy-just easy desserts from scratch that taste amazing!
Once you make this crostata, you will not only be amazed at how easy it is to make, but also how delicious it is.
Enjoy!
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Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this Italian rustic peach crostata, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Pasta Frolla Tart with Fresh Peaches
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Ingredients
For the peach filling:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons flour all-purpose
- â…› teaspoon cinnamon or to taste
- pinch nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 3 peaches medium, sliced thinly, with or without skin
For the pastry dough:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 215 grams
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt
- â…“ cup butter frozen
- â…“ cup ice cold water
- 1 egg yolk
For the egg wash:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon Turbinado or coarse sugar for sprinkling on egg wash for sprinkling on egg wash
Optional:
- blueberries fresh, a handful
- ½ teaspoon almond flour
- Basil or mint leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C). Position rack to bottom third.
For the peach filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, all-purpose flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.Â
- Add the sliced peaches and toss gently together. Set aside.
For the pastry dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, zest and salt.
- Using a cheese grater, grate frozen butter over dry ingredients.
- Toss gently (with fingers) to incorporate the butter.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ice cold water and egg yolk.
- Sprinkle one tablespoon of egg yolk-water mixture over a small section of the dry ingredients..
- Incorporate together with a fork and push it aside.
- Add another tablespoon and repeat until you have used up all the liquid.
- Gently knead the dough (with your fingertips) a few times and before you know it, you will have a ball of dough.
- Place the ball of dough between two pieces of parchment paper which have been lightly floured.
- Roll out the dough in a circle approximately 12-13 inches.
- Transfer the parchment with the rolled out dough directly on the baking sheet.
How to assemble:
- Place the sliced peaches, without the extra liquid for now, in the center of this simple homemade crust any way you like, leaving a 1½-2 inch border around the edges.
- Gently fold the edges of the pastry towards the center and create pleats at 2-inch intervals, leaving the center of the crostata exposed.
- As an option, scatter a handful of fresh berries over the peaches.
- At this time, drizzle the extra peach liquid over the top of the peaches and sprinkle about half a teaspoon of almond flour.
- Working quickly, brush the egg wash over the exposed dough followed by a sprinkling of coarse sugar (1 tablespoon).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
- Place a sheet of foil over the peach filling and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or until the crust becomes golden brown.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool down slightly in order for the fruit to set.Â
- Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, garnish with fresh mint or basil.
Video
Notes
- Allow the peaches to marinate with the sugar for at least 10-15 minutes allowing the natural sugars to be released.
- Adjust the amount of sugar used based on the sweetness and ripeness of the peaches.
- To ensure the perfect flaky crust, do not overwork the dough.Â
- If you are having a hard time rolling out the dough, place it in between 2 pieces of parchment paper.Â
- Rolling out the dough on lightly floured parchment paper provides an easy transfer to the baking sheet.
- Arrange the sliced peaches any way you like on the dough.Â
- To prevent the peaches from drying out, drizzle the top with the leftover juices from the filling and cover the fruit with aluminum halfway through the baking process.Â
Nutrition
I originally published this post on July 21, 2020, and republished it on July 16, 2026, with updated content. Thanks for sharing.
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Sandra
Wow! Great!
Maria
Thanks so much Sandra!
Marianne
This is a go-to recipe for me. Crostata/Gallette is easier than a pie. I always have blueberries in the freezer so during peach season, I almost always add them. Pretty, too.
Maria
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment Marianne. It really is so much fun to make crostatas!
Chris
I made one last week because I didn’t have enough peaches to make a full pie. And then I remembered making an apple one several years ago. I think I prefer this rustic recipe and presentation more! Love it with a little vanilla ice cream 🙂
Maria
Thanks so much for sharing Chris! I agree, crostatas are so much fun to bake up!
Sandra
What a beautiful dessert. It was delicious despite my difficulties with pastry. I did have to chill the pastry dough and even then it was soft to work with. Practice will make perfect I think. Will definitely make this pretty and tasty dessert again. Would love an apple crostata recipe !
Maria
Thanks so much Sandra. I am sorry you had a hard time with the dough. If you have a scale, perhaps you can try weighing the flour… it has been my experience that everyone measures flour a little differently. You can test it out yourself. My point of reference is Cook’s Illustrated… 1 cup of AP flour=142 grams. Note: This is such a controversial topic as all the “baking experts” don’t agree to what 1 cup of flour should weigh.
Thrilled to hear you were happy with the results. I will be publishing an apple crostata by the end of the week… stay tuned!
Stephanie
Hello. What is the weight in grams that you are using for a cup of flour? It seems to vary from recipe to recipe so I just want to be sure. Thank you
Maria
Hi! Yes, I absolutely agree with you. My reference is Cook’s Illustrated. So, 1 cup of all-purpose flour when weighed is 142 grams or 5 ounces. Thanks for your interest.
Sarah
Tried it and it turned out great ! Just the right amount of sweetness while maintaining the natural flavor of peaches. My family loved it ! Keep inspiring 🙂
Maria
Fantastic Sarah! Thanks for sharing!
Toni
I recently found your blog, I love it!!!! I also enjoy your stories about your parents. Thank you for sharing such great dishes!!
Maria
Thanks so much for your kind words Toni! Welcome!
Diane
I just finished making this Peach Crostata recipe. It is delicious! I saw your pictures after I took it out of the oven. But it’s definitely delicious and that’s all that matters.
Maria
How wonderful Diane! Thank you !